Anne Peyton

There are two criteria for a painting that Anne Peyton places in each of her finished pieces: One is that the final image shows respect for the subject; the second is that viewers can learn something after studying the art. They are two principles that the artist has carried over to her new career as a wildlife artist, concentrating on birds and avian art.

For 20 years, Anne was one of the most sought after motorsports artists, accurately depicting all types of racing vehicles that drew the attention of drivers, sponsors, art collectors and enthusiasts alike.

Today, she has turned her eye and hand to the natural world. “In a way, it’s closing a circle. Birds and other wildlife were the subjects of my earliest paintings. My grandfather had a number of feeders at his Fort Collins (Colorado) home and he was very proud of the birds that visited his yard. I would spend several hours at the table sketching and painting the birds.

An avid birder, Anne has spent countless hours viewing birds around Arizona and the Southwest. “Observing birds and their habits is a way to discover more about their nature – the motions a Sandhill Crane makes during preening, the way a Golden Eagle walks along the ground instead of hopping or taking a short flight, or the frantic scolding of a House Wren guarding its nest hole. Each of these actions means something for the bird and it is these actions and their meanings that I want to convey to the viewer.”

Anne dedicates several hours each month to volunteering at Liberty Wildlife; a Scottsdale-based rehabilitation and education organization that treats injured animals. Sometimes, a bird cannot be released back into the wild. Zoos claim some while others become avian ambassadors for their species at Liberty’s presentations. Anne’s specialty is training owls, hawks, eagles and falcons to become accustomed to people in educational and group settings.

“Each bird is an individual and behaves differently. Even among the same species, each bird has a distinct personality. That surprised me when I first started working with these amazing creatures, but it is an aspect that has served me well in the field and in my art.”

Anne is based in Phoenix, Arizona. She is a member of the following professional art associations: Society of Animal Artists, Signature Member since 2000. National Oil and Acrylic Painters’ Society, Signature Member since 2004. Artists for Conservation, Signature Member since 2005. Women Artists of the West, Signature Member since 2012. Paint America, Signature Member since 2012. National Society of Painters in Casein and Acrylics, Associate Member since 2005. American Plains Artists, Associate Member since 2010. American Women Artists, Associate Member since 2012. International Guild of Realism, Member since 2012.

Her work has been shown in several exhibitions, including “Birds inArt” (Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum, Wausau, Wis.) and several Society of Animal Artists “Art and the Animal “ shows. In 2012, Anne had her first solo exhibition, “Longed for Still: The Avian Art of Anne Peyton,” at the Great Plains Art Museum in Lincoln, Nebraska. She also painted at the museum for several days as the 2012 Elizabeth Rubendall Artist-in-Residence.